Method of packaging cylindrical containers



Aug- 5, 1958 w E. Low'n-uAN 2,845,758

METHOD OF' PACKAGING CYLINDRICAL CONTAINERS Filed Jan. l0, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR wCZ/er Low hl'czn.

ATTORNEY Aug. 5, 1958 w. E. LowTHlAN METHOD 0F PACKAGING CYLINDRICAL CONTAINERS FiledJan. 1o, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l QH BY/ W/ ATTORNEY United States Patent METHOD F PACKAGING CYLINDRICAL CONTAINERS Walter E. Lowthian, Baltimore, Md. Application January 10, 1956, Serial No. 558,222 1 Claim. (Cl. 5.3-14) The present invention relates to a tray, easel, or box insert for packaging and displaying containers carrying various types of merchandise and the method of constructing the easel or insert and the method of placing the containers in the easel, and removing them therefrom.

One object of the invention is to provide a support in which the containers may be readily placed and removed, and in which they are effectively displayed.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an easel or insert having a minimum number of parts and operations in its manufacture.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an easel or insert that will securely hold the containers.

Another object of the invention is to construct an easel and method by which the containers can be inserted quickly into the easel and withdrawn therefrom singly from any portion thereof without disturbing the other containers.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a package in which the container may be individually supported to prevent the containers from contacting each other.

While several objects of the invention have been set forth, other objects may appear as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed, which consists in its novel construction together with the novel method in which the containers are attached to the easel or insert as described in the following specifications and illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof and in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the easel or box insert.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same, illustrating the position and location of the containers.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a form and support for attaching the containers to the easel.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the form illustrating its use with the easel.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a similar view taken on line 6 6 of Figure Figure 7 is an end elevation of a number of easel cards when nested for shipment or storage.

The invention comprises a sheet or card of semi-pliable material 1 slotted and scored at desired places to form a group of individual pockets for certain types of containers. The individual slots are shown by reference numeral 2, and at each end of the several slots are cutout portions 3. On the card at the opposite ends of and in line with the slots are bendable end tabs 4 which when bent out of the plane of the sheet have an urge to return. These end tabs are all bendable along bending lines 5. Extending outwardly from the slots and parallel therewith, joining the sides of the cut-out portions in each pocket, are bending lines 6, which form bendable aps 7, which likewise have an urge to return when bent out of the plane of the sheet.

The pockets are formed of a predetermined size in order that a container of a given size will easily fit within the pocket. The containers 8 are preferably provided with a top and bottom of the same size which have in them similar recesses 9. The score lines surrounding the pockets are spaced outwardly from the containers along both sides and the ends as shown in Figure 4.

The sheet is made of any suitable kind of semi-pliable material such as card board, heavy paper, plastic or the like. The sheet may be set up as an easel or display board, as shown in Figure 2 by placing on one side thereof a stand member 10, which may be hingedly attached to the sheet adjacent its attaching line. The stand member 10 is cut away at 11 to allow the member 10 to be folded flat against the sheet, the cut-out portion 11 allowing the containers in the area of the folded stand member to extend through the opening.

The sheet 1 may be used as a tray, a box insert for shipping and handling the containers, or it may be used as a display easel, or both as a shipping insert and an easel.

In packing the easel when lled with containers the easels are staggered, as shown in Figure 7. Each upper container is supported upon the area lying between the two lower containers, which places between the sides of each container a portion of the sheet, the containers nesting together with the aps separating them.

In order to insert the container into the pockets of the sheet, a rigid form 12. is provided. This form may be constructed of any suitable material such as wood, plastic or the like. The form is provided with a plurality of recesses, or openings of a predetermined depth, as shown by numeral 13 in Figure 3. These recesses correspond with the score lines for the respective container pockets, the edges of the recesses corresponding substantially with the score lines surrounding the pockets.

The containers are attached to the sheets by rst placing the sheet over the form in such a manner as to have the unformed pockets coinciding with the recesses in the form. One of these containers 8 is aligned with one of the slots, as shown at A in Figure 5, after which the container is pressed downwardly, as shown at B in Figure 5. The ilaps 7 of the `sheet slot will be bent downwardly as shown at 14 and 15 in Figure 5. At the same time the end tabs are pressed downwardly by the ends of the containers, as shown in Figure 6. As'the containers are pressed downwardly asuilicient distance, substantially to the bottom of form pockets 13 the hinged tabs spring back into the recesses in the top and bottom of the containers. The side portions 14 and 15 also spring back against the container to urge it toward the upper surface of the sheet. When all of the pockets have been filled the sheet is removed from the form an'd is packed in cartons or similar boxes for shipment or storage in nested form as shown in Figure 7.

If the sheets are provided with the hinged stand member 10 as shown in Figure 2, the sheet is placed upon a table or supporting member 17. The containers are removed from the sheet in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 2, completing movement through the sheet. However, if desirable, the stand member 11 may be placed on the opposite side of the sheet 1 and the containers will then be removed, again by movement through the sheet.

While the invention has been shown and described for v a specific form, this is not intended as a limitation as other variations may be apparent to one skilled in the art, however the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

A method of packaging cylindrical containers with recessed ends comprising forming in a sheet of semi- 3 pliable material a plurality of individual container pockets by slotting the same and forming openings therein cross- Wise of each end of the slots to receive a container therein longitudinally of the slots, forming projections on the sheet in the openings directed toward the slots, recessing a rigid form substantially corresponding to the pockets in the sheet and each recess being of substantially the cross-section of the containers to be packaged, and placing the sheet thereover, moving containers over the '4 upper surface of the sheet until each is opposite one said pocket, depressing the container into the opening of the rigid form to a point Where the end projections will engage the recessed ends of the container.

References Cited in the le of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 356,067 Great Britain Sept. 3, 1931 

